Ryan Gravenberch: position and style of play

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Liverpool, Manchester United and AC Milan were all linked with a move for Ryan Gravenberch, following his challenging first season with Bayern Munich. While his future at the Allianz Arena was subject to speculation, his status among Europe’s most promising midfielders helped to explain the interest from some of the biggest clubs in world football. It was for good reason that the perennial German champions signed him from Ajax for a reported €18m in the summer of 2022.

Although it was Liverpool who signed the talented 21-year-old for £34.3m, the link with Old Trafford was no surprise, given Gravenberch’s Ajax debut came under the management of Erik ten Hag in 2018. At just 16 years and 130 days, he became the club’s youngest ever Eredivisie debutant, beating a record held by the legendary Clarence Seedorf. Gravenberch went on to make 103 appearances under Ten Hag, winning three Dutch titles and two Dutch cups, as well as making his Netherlands debut at the age of 18.

It was only a matter of time before Europe’s richest clubs came calling, but the Dutchman found it difficult to get game time after moving to Bayern. Under Julian Nagelsmann’s management he started just one Bundesliga game, in February 2023, shortly before Nagelsmann was sacked. His successor, Thomas Tuchel, gave Gravenberch two starts – including the crucial last-day trip to Köln, where Bayern clinched a dramatic 11th successive title. Otherwise, he was restricted to substitute cameos, coming on 24 times in the league and registering only 937 minutes across all competitions.

In spite of his bumpy road at Bayern, he remains a player with tremendous potential. Here, our UEFA-licensed coaches analyse his style of play and position…

Technical analysis

Gravenberch is a right-footed central midfielder. His versatility is evident in his experience as a single pivot, as part of a double pivot, and as a more advanced number eight or attacking number 10.

He can maintain possession in tight areas via quick combinations, playing away from pressure. His weight of pass stands out; he often finds the correct foot of a teammate, so they can turn or play away from their direct opponent. When operating higher, he has a keen eye for balls played between the full-back and centre-back (below). Gravenberch will slide through balls in, or clip deft balls over, for teammates to receive in the box, where they can often deliver a cross.

Nimble movements

Playing in a more permanent, higher role between the lines, the Dutch midfielder makes good use of front-foot passes. He is nimble and can change direction on the ball, dropping his shoulder just as he releases a pass. This allows him to connect with teammates, then run forward into a more threatening position. When facing a compact low-block, this front-foot pass technique allows him to access runners inside the opposing centre-back.

For someone who has mostly played in central midfield, he is a strong dribbler who can escape pressure when he drops deeper to receive. His safe-side turning is particularly strong; he waits until his opponent commits to a shoulder as they attempt to win the ball, before rolling them to face forwards. From there, he can drive out from the back to disrupt an opposing press – especially one that is player-oriented. With the ability to go both ways, he retains that crucial element of unpredictability, using a drop of the shoulder or a knock and run, while holding off opponents with his upper body.

Higher up the pitch against a low block, he can evade pressure with subtle jinks and changes of direction, as opposed to driving through larger spaces from deep. Although his tighter dribbling is less successful than his bursts across bigger spaces, he retains that ability to roll his opponent as he receives (below).

Out of possession

Without the ball, Gravenberch is best when pressing in to out, forcing the ball away from the central spaces (below). He is an aggressive dueller who looks to regain possession before screening, delaying or forcing the opposition into a specific space. His defending is most effective when approaching from the side and pressing on an angle, as he can pinch the ball by stepping across his opponent, or by wrapping his leg around the outside to poke it away. When duelling head on, or from a recovery position, he is less composed and can concede fouls, or get beaten in 1v1 moments.  

Pivot roles

Gravenberch has spent the majority of his career operating either as a single pivot (as seen with Ajax) or as part of a double pivot (with Bayern). In Germany, he has accompanied either Joshua Kimmich or Leon Goretzka within a 4-2-3-1 shape, especially after Thomas Tuchel took over. This has allowed Bayern’s full-backs to advance forward earlier, with Kimmich dropping into the back line. In turn, Gravenberch had more room to receive and drive out of the back, connecting with the full-backs or the team’s high front line. 

With Ajax, he spent time as the single pivot and the main connector between the back line and midfield (below). He would drop into the back line to face forward earlier, then drive into midfield. This would often occur on Ajax’s left side, where he developed strong relationships with the rotations on this side – and with Dusan Tadic especially. The Dutch international would also hold his central role to support between the two number eights when needed, playing multiple short passes underneath the main attacking unit. 

Number 10

Within Bayern’s 4-2-3-1, Gravenberch has occasionally been used as a number 10. Even when operating as part of the double pivot, he had licence to push forward, especially when paired with Kimmich. From here, he would form part of another strong relationship on the left. Overlapping runs from Alphonso Davies or penetrative movements from João Cancelo allowed him to find runners beyond, especially against a more reserved block. 

In the 2022/23 campaign, with Sadio Mané, Serge Gnabry, Kingsley Coman and Leroy Sané, Gravenberch had teammates who were explosive and looked to receive beyond, or attack coming in from the touchline. He had ideal support around him to connect and create during transitional moments, as well as Thomas Müller supporting ahead as a versatile number 10. This allowed Bayern to attack with multiple 10s between the lines and cause problems centrally, with Gravenberch working back inside from the left inside channel. 

Number eight

At Ajax, the Dutchman sometimes played as one of the number eights within a 4-3-3, operating ahead of the single pivot. With Tadic coming inside, he combined in the left inside channel to get inside the opposing right-back. Overlapping runs from Argentine left-back Nicolás Tagliafico worked to support these combinations, with Daley Blind also available on this side to combine and create. Gravenberch would also rotate, dropping out of the inside channel, to allow fluid movements ahead in the wide areas. This was especially the case when Ajax faced a lower block, giving more support to the single central forward, Sébastien Haller. 

His versatility in midfield makes him an attractive proposition, but he needs more game time to continue his development. With Euro 2024 next summer, and 10 of his 11 Netherlands caps coming back in 2021, Gravenberch will also need more first-team football at Liverpool if he is to force his way into the national team reckoning.

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Author: The Coaches' Voice